Garment clasp



M. A. PALLAS GARMENT CLASP May 24, 1938..

Filed Nov. 9, 1956 Manuel 6. Per/[a5 ATTORNEYS Patented May 24, 1938UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE Claims.

The present invention relates to clasps particularly adapted for use inconjunction with supporting devices such as garters or suspenders forthe support of garments thereby.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a garment claspincluding a pair of cooperating jaws and mechanism associated with theclasp whereby the gripping ends of the jaws are swung together andslidably moved relative to each other to cause the gripping ends of thejaws to more securely engage a garment therebetween. A further object ofthe invention is to provide a clasp forming part of a garter, the novelarrangement of the clasp being particularly adapted to securely griphose therein, the gripping end of the clasp presenting a novelarrangement for engagement with the hose.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment clasp includingleverage means for actuating the jaws of the clasp into and out ofengagement with each other, the jaws of the clasp being provided withlatch means to securely hold the cooperating jaws in locked positionthereby preventing accidental release of the garment from same.

A further object is to provide a garment clasp, the respective jawelements of which are so formed as to present a button element and aslot for cooperation with the button element so as to securely grip agarment therebetween, the clasp including means for moving the mentionedele ments into gripping association with each other by the manipulationof a lever thereon.

The invention will be fully and comprehensive- 1 ly' understood from aconsideration of the following detailed description when read inconnection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of theapplication.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the clasp in closed position and showingsame suspended on a supporting device;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the garment clasp, the jawsof same being in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the jaws of the clasp inopen position; and

Fig. 4 is an exploded view illustrating the several elements comprisingthe garment clasp apart from each other.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawingsame comprises a pair of cooperating jaws having at their respectiveends knob and slot elements for gripping a garment thereby, the jawsbeing pivotally and slidably connected and including actuating means forsame whereby the mentioned knob and slot elements are moved intogarment-gripping association with each other by a pivotal and slidingaction of the mentioned jaws.

Reference is now had to the accompanying drawing for a more detaileddescription thereof in which the numeral 5 indicates the first jaw ofthe garment clasp, the same being adapted to cooperate with a second jaw6 for gripping a garment therebetween. As afore indicated the jaws 5 and6 are pivotally and slidably connected togather, the same beingpreferably carried out by forming side flanges on the first jaw 5 inwhich are cut elongate slots or guideways 8. The secand, jaw 6 issimilarly provided with side flanges 9, each having a pivot pin Illformed thereon to engage in the slots 8 so as to provide the pivotal andslidable connection between the jaws 5 and 6.

Adjacent the free end of the first jaw 5 is" formed a slot 1 l borderedin part by a transverse bar l2. The second jaw 6 has mounted on the freeend thereof a knob element l3 preferably formed by extruding a portionof. the jaw 6 to form an oil-set flange extending therefrom in the formof a hook and having the free end of sameenlarged in the form of a knobfor insertion thru the slot l l During closing of the clasp by meanshereinafter described the jaws 5 and 6 are moved so that the knob I3 isfirstinserted thru the slot l l and thereafter moved longitudinally sothat the knob I3 is disposed over the bar l2. A garment being disposedbetween the jaws 5 and 6 is caused to be securely gripped therebetween,the grip being assured by the mentioned positioning of the knob 13relative to the bar l2 in which the cloth of the garment is closelydisposed around the knob l3 in a manner similar to the well-known garterclasp.

The preferred means for actuating the jaws 5 and 6 in their pivotal andsliding action is embodied in the lever l4 having at its actuating end aloop I5 for attachment to a garter or suspender element l6 as shown inFig. l. The lever I4 has formed thereon trunnions l5 intermediate itsends, the trunnions it being journalled in apertures l'i formed in theflanges 1' of the jaw 5. The lever 14 is formed in an angle, theopposite free end of the lever being flexibly connected tothe second jaw5 by having a lug 18 extending therefrom to be engaged in an aperture l9cut in the jaw 6. A spring 20 carried on one of the jaws, preferably thesecond jaw 6', has its free ends disposed to engage the respective jaws5 and 6 to urge same apart from each other; The 55 spring 20 ispreferably carried on a bar 2! ex truded from the jaw 6 to be engaged inthe bent portion of the spring 20.

In considering the operation of the clasp in gripping a garment,reference is directed particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 wherein it will benoted that the lever It in swinging to a substantial angle serves toactuate the jaws 5 and 6 to first move same together and thereafterslide the jaws relative to each other in cooperation with the pivotaland slidable' connection embodied in the slots 8 and the pivot pins It.During the initial swinging of the lever 14, it will be observed thatthe ends of the jaws 5 and 6 opposite the gripping ends are urged apartfrom each other and the gripping ends of the jaws 5 and 6 arecorrespondingly moved toward each other so that the knob I3 is insertedin the slot I I. As the lever 14 continues to rotate after the grippingjaws are moved together, the second jaw 6 is now slidably actuatedduring which the pivot pins l are sliding along the slots 8 and the knob13 is being moved over the bar I 2 so that the respective jaws and 6 arepositioned substantially as shown in Fig. 2. It will be apparent thatthe end of lever l4 flexibly associated with the second jaw 6 causes theswinging of the jaws 5 and 6 together and that the lug l8 engaged in theslot l5 functions to slidably actuate the jaws 5 and 6 after the initialmovement of the lever Hi, the action of the jaws occurring against thepressure of the spring 20. During opening of the jaws 5 and 6, the leverI4 is swung to the position shown in Fig. 3 whence the reverse action ofthe elements takes place and the spring 20 serves to urge the jaws 5 and6 apart.

The closed position of the jaws is yieldably secured by means of acam-latch arrangement now to be described. As shown more clearly in Fig.4, the upper corner of each of the side plates 1 is arcuately formed topresent a cam 22 terminating in a notch 23. Projecting from the edges ofthe jaw 6 and disposed to cooperate with the cam 22 and notch 23 are apair of lugs 24 which in the open position of the clasp are disposed onthe top edge of the plates 7. As the jaws 5 and E are swung toward eachother as previously described, the lugs 24 slide over the arcuate earns22 and thereafter drop into the notches 23. The cams 22 are inclinedarcuately to effect a slight resistance to the travel of the lugs 24 sothat the portion of the jaw 6 between the pivot pins l0 and the lugs 24is slightly flexed until the lugs 24 are engaged in the notches 23 asshown in Fig. 1. In this action it will be noted that the slots 8 areinclined slightly so as to more firmly engage the lugs 24 in the notches23. During the initial opening of the clasp the swinging of lever l4urges the lugs 24 out of the notches 23 during which the mentionedportion of the jaw 6 is again flexed until the lugs 2d are disposed ontop of the plates 7 and the clasp is fully open.

The action of the earns 22 on the lugs 2t may also be considered assupplemental to the lever M in guiding the jaws 5 and 6 during theirswinging action. It will be noted that the cams 22 serve to assist thelever M in swinging the jaws together before the sliding action of sametakes place so that the free insertion of. the knob l3 into the slot IIis had before the jaws 5 and 6 are slidably actuated relative to eachother.

It is to be understood that this improvement is capable of extendedapplication and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawing norto the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes andmodifications may be made therein as do not afiect the spirit of theinvention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A clasp of the character described comprising a pair of cooperatingjaws pivotally connected intermediate their ends and comprising a pivoton one of said jaws journalled in an elongate slot in the other jaw topermit sliding of said pivot, and actuating means associated with theends of said jaws opposite the gripping ends and adapted to move thementioned ends of said jaws apart to move said gripping ends togetherand adapted to move said pivot along said slot to cause said jaws toslide longitudinally of each other, said actuating means comprising alever fulcrumed on one of said jaws and having its free end flexiblyconnected with the other jaw by means including a tongue element formedon said lever arm and received in cooperative manner in a recess formedin the jaw element.

2. A clasp of the character described comprising a first jaw having aslot at its free end and a second jaw having an off-set knob at its freeend, means including a lever for actuating same for swinging and slidingsaid jaws into engagement with each other comprising a sliding guidewayon said first jaw carrying a pivot on said second jaw, and a cam on saidfirst jaw cooperating with a lug on said second jaw, said guideway andsaid cam being adapted to cooperatively move said jaws in swinging andsliding together upon actuation by said lever whereby said off-set knobis inserted into said slot and hooked over the free end of said firstjaw, said cam including a notch for reception of said lug tosubstantially lock said jaws in closed position.

3. A clasp of the character described comprising a pair of cooperatingjaws pivotally connected intermediate their ends and comprising a pivoton one of said jaws journalled in an elongate slot in the other jaw topermit sliding of said pivot, actuating means associated with the endsof said jaws opposite the gripping ends and adapted to move thementioned ends of said jaws apart to move said gripping ends togetherand adapted to move said pivot along said slot to cause said jaws toslide longitudinally of each other, said actuating means comprising alever'iulcrumed on one of said jaws and having its free end flexiblyconnectedwith the other jaw by means including a tongue element formedon said lever arm and received in cooperative manner in a recess formedin the jaw element, and spring means carried on one of said jaws to urgesaid jaws apart from each other.

4. A clasp of the type herein described comprising a pair of cooperatingjaws, said jaws being associated with each other by means includingpivots formed on upright portions of one of said jaws engaging withelongated slots formed in upright portions of the other of said jawswhereby the jaws can be opened, closed and moved longi-- tudinallyrelative each to the other, cloth-holding means comprising an offsetknob-like member formed near an end of one of said jaws and adapted tobe received in and cooperate with a corresponding cut-out portion in theother jaw, means associated with said jaws for operating saidcloth-holding means and simultaneously imparting relative longitudinalmovement to the elements of said jaws, comprising an L-shaped member,one of the arms of said member presenting a loop for mounting on thegarment and the other of said arms presenting a tongue adapted to fit ina recess in one of the jaw elements, the member being mounted in theother jaw element by means including pivots formed on the member at theplace of union of the arms, said pivots being received in recesses inupright portions of one of the jaw elements, and resilient means mountedon one of said jaws and acting against the other jaw urging said jawsapart.

5. A clasp of the type herein described comprising a pair of cooperatingjaws, said jaws being associated with each other by means includingpivots formed on upright portions of one of said jaws engaging withelongated slots formed in upright portions of the other of said jawswhereby the jaws can be opened, closed and moved 1ongitudinally relativeeach to the other, cloth-holding means comprising an offset knob-likemember formed near an end of one of said jaws and adapted to be receivedin and cooperate with a corresponding cut-out portion in the other jaw,

means associated with said jaws for operating said cloth-holding meansand simultaneously imparting relative longitudinal movement to theelements of said jaws, comprising an L-shaped member, one of the arms ofsaid member presenting a loop for mounting on the garment and the otherof said arms presenting a tongue adapted to fit in a recess in one ofthe jaw elements, the member being mounted in the other jaw element bymeans including pivots formed on the member at the place of union of thearms, said pivots being received in recesses in upright portions of oneof the jaw elements, said member having lugs formed thereon andpositioned near said pivots whereby the rotative movement of theL-shapedmember about said pivots is substantially restricted, andresilient means mounted on one of said jaws and acting against the otherjaw urging said jaws apart.

MANUEL A. PALLAS.

